Celta v Man United: Goliaths arrive in Spain aiming to take step toward Europa League final

Jose Mourinho has had some memorable scuffles up in Galicia, just over the northern border of his native Portugal, and he should be prepared for a feisty one in Vigo in the Europa League semi-finals. There is already a spicy Mourino versus Mourinho subtext. The president of Celta Vigo, Carlos Mourino, has been telling local media that the Manchester United manager is not to his taste. “I wouldn’t hire him for Celta,” Mourino said. “He wouldn’t fit our style.” Mourinho will not lose too much sleep over that. He is used to hearing sneers in Spain, some of them informed by the idea that, in his three seasons at Real Madrid, he was excessively combative in his statements and too conservative in the football he encouraged. __________________________________ Read more ■ Andy Mitten: Real Madrid make David De Gea their prime target ■ Podcast: Tottenham hot on Chelsea's heels but is it too late? ■ Arsenal: Now looking on enviously at rivals Tottenham __________________________________ Back then, Celta were making their way up from the second division, and coincided in the top flight with Mourinho’s Madrid only for the 2012/13 season, where they achieved one memorable win in a Cup match. Rewind back farther, and Celta fans have been known to cheer Mourinho. As manager of Porto, he was conqueror of their rivals, Deportivo la Coruna, in a Uefa Champions League semi-final in 2004 — a major career milestone for him. The older, seasoned Mourinho will arrive on Wednesday in this corner of Spain under no illusions that he is seen as leading the Goliaths against the plucky Davids in this duel for a place in a major final. And president Mourino has learned that Mourinho and United bring with them a carriage of attention like few visitors. A larger-than-usual, make-shift news conference venue at the Balaidos arena had to be hastily located to fit in the extra reporters wanting to hear what Mourinho had to say. Paul Pogba in training for Manchester United’s Europa League semi-final first leg against Celta Vigo. Alex Livesey / Getty Images United’s injury list is one important bulletin, with the absence of so many frontline defenders. Chris Smalling and Phil Jones are still recovering from layoffs, while Eric Bailly and Luke Shaw both suffered injuries at the weekend. Marcos Rojo is also out. Add to that, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is also missing, having had surgery. It is news that cannot help but embolden a Celta who, though their league form has dipped as their European adventure has gathered pace, have shown themselves to be especially potent when the stakes rise at the Balaidos. They struck four times in beating Barcelona this season, twice at home against Real Madrid in eliminating them from the Copa del Rey in January, and gave themselves their platform to reach this semi-final with a three-goal, first-half blitz in what was a 4-3 aggregate win over Genk in the last round. A 4-1 win in the home derby against Deportivo was fairly emphatic, too. Celta Vigo forward Iago Aspas. Miguel Riopa / AFP Iago Aspas, once of Liverpool, but a Celta academy graduate, has supplied 24 goals across competitions this season. He acknowledges that after long runs in two cups — they reached the semis of the Copa del Rey — there have been symptoms of fatigue. “When you have a dream, your legs feel less heavy. We have a real chance,” he, however, says. “We’ve come through eight or nine big knockout ties in the last couple of years. The key is to stay true to our style.” That style, cultivated by respected Argentine manager Eduardo Berizzo, requires energy and positional discipline. Celta Vigo manager Eduardo Berizzo. Salvador Sas / EPA Celta have responded calmly to setback through their Europa League campaign, to conceding a first-leg deficit against Shakhtar Donetsk before they went and won in Ukraine, and indeed to losing the first three matches of their league campaign before settling into the mid-table position they now occupy. They may be heartened that United’s injury catalogue includes several of the club’s taller men, dangerous at the sort of set-pieces Celta have had difficulties defending this season. But for Aspas, a less than full-strength United are still a formidable United. “They have a squad of 25 great players,” he says. “If one worth €30 million [Dh120.2m] is out, then there’s another €20m ready to come in.” Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport

Celta v Man United: Goliaths arrive in Spain aiming to take step toward Europa League final

Ian Hawkey previews the Europa League semi-final first leg between Manchester United and Celta Vigo.